The Rise of the Black Knight
by clairvoyancy
Summary: 【 тнe ѕeqυel тo тнe pecυlιar caѕe oғ мaιѕιe croғт】Mirana is missing, Iracebeth is to blame, and Maisie knows in her heart that it wasn't her doing. There is a darker power rising in Underland, and he will not rest until Alice is dead. 【 oc х тιмe 】
1. Chapter 1

The cold air brushed past my face, my wedding dress flowing around my thin legs as I stood on the balcony overlooking the darkest land of Wonderland. The light from Time's castle lit up the area a bit, considering that I had returned and he used it to symbolize that his "light-of-his-life" came back for him. Oh, Time was such a dork, but that's what I loved about him. I propped my head up by my hand and felt the coarse fabric of the veil still attached to my hair. I let out a sigh of disgust and ripped it off of my head.

My mother forced me to marry someone that I could very much live without in the cold reality. I honestly would be better off with being single the rest of my life, rather than ending up with a fool like Gregory. "I guess?" What kind of response was that?! It truly showed how much of a selfish man he was. I'm sure he hadn't been always like that; perhaps raised into a snobby family tainted his kind behavior before Gregory even grew into it.

Why am I thinking about this? I, Maisie Croft, was stronger than this. I had the power to chose whom I wanted to marry and whom I despised. Why couldn't they see it?

I let my fingers slip from the veil, watching it sail through the breeze into the night sky. My eyes followed it and noted that there were a few stars in the sky that I could hardly spot due to the vicious looking clouds. Still, it was nice to see some form of light. I smiled again and rested my head back down onto my palm.

The thought to be back in this world after so many years was simply perfection, but something was missing. I still had a gaping hole in my heart from where my best friend buried her trust in me. I felt awful to leave her in that world all alone without me, but if I had my own way, I would ensure that she came with me. I drew in a sigh, feeling a bit panicked. What happens after I leave Wonderland like last time? I'm more than sure my mother will not allow me back in her home with the behavior that I displayed, and I knew that my relatives would turn me down too.

What should a girl do when all hope is lost in her own reality? I suppose I should enjoy this time in Wonderland, but the whole situation is going to bug me for the rest of my stay. I heard footsteps behind me, breaking my thoughts on the ground like empty light bulbs and I craned my head to see whom it was. Of course, I didn't expect it to be anyone other than Time. He was holding something behind his back, and one of his trademark smiles upon his pale face. I turned to face him, the wide skirt swishing against my legs once again.

"You seem rather ecstatic," I commented and wrapped my arms around my back, swaying slightly on the balls of my heels. "What happened?" I saw a flash of nervousness in his bright blue eyes, but Time walked directly next to me and coughed awkwardly.

"Ah, well I had a revelation," Time answered my question. The object in his hands shifted again, so now he held it in his right palm. I tilted my head, moving it so I could attempt to see what he was holding. He backed up quickly, shaking his head at me. "No, no, no! Not yet!" I pouted, folding my arms cutely.

"I don't like it when people hide things from me," I said, moving closer to him. I tried to peek over his shoulder, but Time moved away once again. "What is it?"

"It's something for you," he replied. I giggled happily and nearly pounced on him, scrambling up over him to reach the object. Time stood there, astonished at my behavior and carefully pushed me down off of him. "Maisie, please. You are acting like a child." I snickered, poking one of his shoulders.

"Puh-lease! I'm not being a child, it's called having fun!" I remarked. Time raised an eyebrow, and I automatically followed his lead, mocking him.

"Maisie-"

"Time!"

"Let me explain-"

"Let me explain."

"It's important-"

"It's important."

He huffed, staring down at me with his eyebrows narrowed. I just continued to give him a goofy grin, wobbling a bit on my heels.

"I love you!" I chirped happily. Time cracked a smile, regaining his posture and moved the object once again in his hands.

"I love you too. Now will you allow me to tell you?" Time asked, his voice growing softer. I nodded my head, wondering what he had to tell me that was this important. I allowed my back to lean against the railing as he cleared his throat for a second time. "Maisie, I was doing a lot of thinking while you were absent and I asked for the others opinions on the matter." He shifted nervously, and I could hear his clock even skip a few ticks. "I want you- I mean, I would like it if you- Erm, no that's not what I'm supposed to say.." I giggled slightly.

"It's okay. Take your time," I said with a wink. Time lightly chuckled, but continued on,

"I love you more than anything imaginable, and that's why I wanted to ask for your hand in-"

"Sir! Sir!"

A tiny robotic butler rolled into the room, his eyes widening when he noticed Time's death glare in his direction. His wheels sputtered a bit and backed up slightly.

"Ah, did I come at a wrong time?" he questioned. Time slowly held up the mystery item in his hand, which I could now see was an ordinary black box and continued to stare at the butler. The robot gasped, his eyebrows shooting up and immediately began to back away. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! So sorry sir! I shall give you the time you need." I held my breath and my gaze caught on the box.

What did that meant? What was in it? Maybe a-

Oh. My. God

My eyes widened with shock as I stared at it, realizing finally what he meant to do. I could feel my heart race at the pure pressure my poor little heart was taking in all at once. Time cleared his throat, noticing that I had seen his secret.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he stated. "Unfortunately, it was too good to be true." Then, he moved so that he knelt down on one knee. I felt my face blush brightly with crimson and I held a hand over my cheek. Didn't this just happen to me? "Dear Maisie, the love of my life, my light in the darkest of times, will you do the impossible and marry Time himself?"

Time held up the black box, exposing the most gorgeous ring that I had ever laid my eyes on. The band was golden, and in the center was a shining diamond in the shape of a small clock. My breath hitched, knowing what my answer was going to be until-

"Sir! This is important! Mirana, she's missing!" the butler came back, crying out frantically. He didn't seem to care that we were obviously sharing a moment and wheeled in-between us. I suppose my answer would have to wait until later.

"Wilkins," Time began, his voice dripping with irritation. "I do care about the disappearance of the White Queen, but I was asking Maisie a very important question and you ruined the whole moment." I smiled softly; he knew the answer as much as I did. I knelt down to the butler and poked him in the side.

"Spill the beans," I began. "Tell us about Mirana."

If only I knew what sort of trouble I was going into, I would have saved Alice a long time ago. Unfortunately, I have to fight this battle alone. Wilkins wheeled down the walkway, and I trotted after him. I was quite curious to why the White Queen out of all people had been mysteriously taken. He turned the corner and puttered along. Time followed behind me, seeming more mopier now that his proposal had been ruined. I nudged him slightly and gave him a grin, letting him know that our time would come once more. Time returned the smile, his hand entangling in mine as we walked.

In the center of the castle was McTwisp, looking as nervous as always. He lightly tapped his large, white paw against the marble ground before he noticed us three arriving in his presence. He twitched his nose and took one hop towards us.

"Hello Maisie!" he greeted me with a small smile. "It's good to see a familiar face." I curtsied towards him, and then scowled at my wedding dress. Ugh, how I despised it. Hopefully I would be given new clothes in the future. "I'm sure Wilkins has told you about our little problem?"

"Yes, he has," Time cut in, glaring down at his robotic butler whom whimpered slightly.

"What happened?" I asked, bending down to his level. The rabbit twitched his nose again and seemed to draw in a breath to explain the long story.

"Today started out like any other day. I was taking my morning stroll with Bayard and Mally through the White Queen's estate, and then I heard a frightful cry coming from her home. Bayard was the first one on the scene, and all we were able to find was her crowned that had been knocked off during a struggle. There was also a trail of black sand that went from the inside of her chambers, and finally outside of her window." McTwisp wiped his eye. "She's the Queen of Underland. If she dies, I do not know what we will do!" He let out a soft cry, in which I wrapped my arms around him to comfort the poor animal.

"You poor dear," I murmured. "Don't worry. I will find Mirana and find out who has taken her!" I gave a brave smile, and then dropped it. Wait, I had no leads on anything except for the trail of black. I had no idea what that even meant. I nervously chuckled and looked down at the rabbit. "Do you have any idea to whom pulled off this act?"

"I do have my suspicions," the rabbit murmured. "It is someone you should know all too well- Iracebeth; the Red Queen."


	2. Chapter 2

Boom!

The door to Iracebeth's creepy and crawly sanctuary had been knocked down, revealing the Red Queen sitting at her desk with a white powder all over her face. I raised an eye as Time approached her, not being easily confused as I was. Wouldn't she be with Mirana, and not focusing on her facial features? Nevertheless, Iracebeth leaped up and held her hands in front of her.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here?!" she exclaimed, her narrowed eyes falling onto me. "If it isn't you again, Maisie." Wasn't she a whole lot nicer to me when I left previously? I took a step into the room, trying to strain my eyes away from her

"I think you know why we are here!" McTwisp spoke up, his voice shaking lightly but still held his ground. "Where is Mirana? Where are you hiding her?" Iracebeth's eyes widened, her petite eyebrows raising with her emotion. I took it that she didn't even realize her dear sister had gone missing.

"Mirana is missing?" she questioned slowly and precisely, letting her small arms droop down by her sides in utter defeat. I bit my lip; this could be an act or she could be honestly upset about her sister's disappearance. "Oh no- This cannot be." Her face grew bright red in anger, shuddering a bit and her fists clenched. "Who would have done such a thing!"

"You mean, you are not the one who has taken her?" Time inquired. Iracebeth violently shook her large head, her tangled red hair still staying in one massive piece.

"No! I would never," she answered while McTwisp made a "tsk" noise.

"You are the only one that we know of that has a past with the White Queen," he explained and doubled his furry, white arms over the other. "You are the main suspect as of now." Iracebeth searched our eyes, looking for any sympathy while tears began to form in her stormy eyes.

"You have to believe me," Iracebeth pleaded, her eyes falling onto mine. "After what happened years ago, I would never cross my sister again. Her and I have an alliance, I promise you. You have to trust me, Maisie. You of all people should." My heart was torn. I loved Iracebeth, and wanted to support her but I didn't know who else to blame.

No, I shouldn't even consider blaming anyone. We had no leads, and we were just going off of what our instincts spoke to our minds. My heart cried out that Iracebeth was not the kidnapper; she was innocent. I knew the others would think I was insane for agreeing with the very reason why Underland was the way it was, but I had to trust my heart on this one.

"I believe you," I spoke boldly. Before Time or McTwisp could question me, I continued, "You showed me that you truly care for Mirana, and I know deep down you would never want to harm her again."

"Maisie," Time started to complain, but I held up my index finger to hush him.

"Trust me," I muttered. "You cannot change my views on how I feel about this subject." Time fell silent, cowering down from his aggressive position against Iracebeth. She gave me a small smile to show gratitude, and I returned it.

"Let's just take it from square one," McTwisp offered, after clearing his throat and hopped in the center of our three bodies. "Shall we travel to Marmoreal to investigate further?" I nodded my head in agreement. Yes, going to the scene of the crime will do us much good. I still wished that Alice came with me; I felt like I couldn't do this without her.

"I'll be there shortly," Iracebeth declared and returned to her seat upon a red, bar stool. She continued to powder in her face, until she turned around, "I need to look my best." A giggle escaped my mouth as the powder continued to make her look like a clown in a circus, while Time tugged on my arm and pulled me out of her bedroom.

"Are you quite certain about this?" Time asked me, whispering softly so that Iracebeth couldn't hear him. "I do not want to offend you, but I am not sure you are thinking about this correctly. Who else would want to harm Mirana other than the Red Queen?"

"It's your turn to trust me," I instructed him. "A butterfly once told me that all will reveal itself soon, and it did." I recalled the first moment I met Absolem in the warmth of the study. He could have just easily told me that I was destined to assist Alice and fall in love with Time. Now that wouldn't be so hard! "And he was right. I found out the reason why I had been taken to Wonderland in my second visit."

"A butterfly?" Time echoed.

"Don't act so surprised," I said with a light, mocking tone and nudged my elbow against his side. "Anything is possible here; even a talking butterfly." Time chuckled slightly as the three of us exited the home of the Red Queen, gazing into the empty wasteland. Not even a convenient tumbleweed passed by. Everything was utterly quiet.

"Shall we continue on?" McTwisp was the first to speak and hopped ahead onto the dusty ground. It caked itself onto his fur, making him grunt with dismay and attempt to clean out the dirt. I nodded my head in agreement and with my head held high, I walked through the barren wasteland with two of my greatest friends next to me. The walk was long, but after an hour of walking, we arrived at Marmoreal.

The city was still as beautiful as I remembered. The streets were marble, so shiny that you could even see your reflection in it or the pink clouds above you. Cherry blossom like trees aligned the walk-way, sending a few white petals in your direction as you walked. They seemed to carry promises, and whispers of the greater things in life. I laughed daintily as one fluttered through my amber, wavy hair.

"I've missed this place so much," I found myself mumbling. Time looked down at me with a smile.

"Almost as much as you've missed me?" he asked, beaming with pride like I had already answered his question. Heh, he was too cute.

"Hm, maybe!" I responded and turned away from him, not letting him see me smirk with mischief. "I think I missed McTwisp more." The white rabbit in a waistcoat gasped and looked up at me, his ears perking.

"Really? You did?" he questioned and twitched his pink nose. Meanwhile, Time pouted and folded his arms over his chest, obviously unhappy with what I had said. I laughed cheerfully and wrapped an arm around him, pressing my chin against his shoulder.

"Aww, is someone grumpy?" I asked and poked his cheek, my eyes falling on his weird brick hat. I frowned and knocked it off of his head, in which Time let out a cry and caught it with one hand.

"Maisie! What was that for?" Time questioned.

"You know how I feel about that hat."


	3. Chapter 3

The air was still; like all life had ceased to exist on Wonderland permanently. I stood in Mirana's former bedroom, my hazel eyes staring in sadness at the sight to behold. Practically everything that was once on her transparent vanity were thrown onto the ground, scattering multiple perfume bottles into the walls and caused them to break. The smell was horrid, but I cupped my hand over my nose and continued on. Her bedsheets were thrown off of the king sized mattress, almost like Mirana knew the kidnapper was coming and hid in her in-the-wall closet or under her bed.

I allowed myself to take a few cautious steps into the bedroom, being careful of where I stepped since there had been broken glass on the ground. Over by the window was the black trail of a strange sand substance that McTwisp told us about before we came here. It certainly was gritty, and felt coarse like the beach sand you would step on that had heated up from the morning sun. I dipped another finger into the substance, allowing the small beads to form a pool in the crevice of my palm.

Before my very eyes, the black sand began to melt. I gasped as it was cold to the touch now, and not as warm as it was. It slowly made its way into the cracks of the flooring, disappearing from my sight. What on earth was that stuff? I dusted my hand off against my dress, and then I remembered. I needed to get out of this wedding gown. It was so thick that it had probably stuck to my very skin by now. I grimaced at the fabric rubbing against my pale skin and shut the door, hoping no one would barge in on me.

Hopefully Mirana would forgive me for borrowing one of her dresses. I mean, I was trying to save her after all, so this could possibly be my reward. I carefully cracked the closet open and pulled apart the dresses, trying to find one that would suit me. Most of them were white, much like the entire palace itself, so I decided to make due with a small, white dress that hung at my lower knees. The skirt was poofy, with lace at the bottom that went around my back and tied in a knot. I quickly stripped from the disgusting rug I had previously worn, and into the fresh clothing.

I took a step back and felt something crack under my heel. Oops. I removed it, hissing from my clumsiness and glanced down at the damage. I stepped on a beautiful, silver locket with a long chain attached to it. Curiously, I picked it up with my pale hand and examined it. There was gentle swirls against the metal, soft roses popping up if you aimed the locket just right in the sun's light. I pushed the clasp in, and pushed it open. Inside was a picture of Iracebeth, and one of Mirana's parents (I think.) I smiled gently, knowing how big Mirana's heart truly was. I only wish she was safe, and not in any pain.

I drew in a breath and sat the locket down onto her messy bed, before exiting the scene of the crime. The only thing that I found interesting was the disappearing sand. I frowned and walked down the steps, holding a hand to my chin as I thought. Maybe it wasn't sand after all- I don't know. Perhaps dirt? I sighed and bashed the thoughts away. I didn't want to overwork myself.

I made it into the large ballroom shortly after. There was a beautiful crystal chandelier above me, with small white candles that lit up the room entirely by themselves and casted a rainbow of colors onto the pure ceiling above. I stared in awe at the sheer gorgeousness, until I felt something tap my left leg. I looked down to see McTwisp, whom looked very ashamed of himself.

"What's wrong?" I asked and bent down to him. He gulped and twitched his pink nose, his whiskers flicking against my brown hair.

"I'm sorry! I tried to watch him, but it seems that someone else has been taken," McTwisp whispered and nuzzled his face into his furry paws. "Oh, woe is me! I knew this was going to happen." I patted his head softly, and then realized that Time was not with him. My heart began to pound rapidly; no! They couldn't have taken him!

"Where is he?" I demanded desperately. "Where is Time?" McTwisp gave me an odd look.

"He's outside, chatting with the others?" he answered in a questioning tone. "Maisie, it was the March Hare that is missing."

"Why the March Hare?" I wondered out loud. "The poor person is probably getting their ear talked off." I laughed softly, and McTwisp nervously twitched his small tail, taking small hops towards the exit door.

"Come outside with the rest of us," McTwisp suggested. I nodded my head, clearing my throat from my joke and approached the double doors. Pushing them open, I was greeted by the bright sun and a gust of warm air. I stood there in awe, once again, of how beautiful this place was. Everything seemed to sparkle with the light, even the rocks that surrounded a few of the cherry blossoms.

Time was speaking with Mally, the small dormouse and I could see Iracebeth nearing Marmoreal on a small chariot. Perfect. I walked down the steps and tapped on Time's shoulder, producing a wide smile.

"Have we found anything yet?" I asked. Time turned to answer my question, but I suppose the sight of me in the dress was too much for him. He stammered while the gears in the back of his head went haywire, sputtering and grinding against each other. I blinked, worried that I had done something wrong. "Are you okay?"

"A-Ah, um. Yes. I am fine," Time finally responded. "You just look very beautiful, as always." I giggled softly, placing a kiss over his cheek and then bent down to talk with my beloved Mally. She was beginning to be one of my favorite creatures here, but it was very hard for me to chose favorites. Her ears moved with the wind, flashing a daring smile at me.

"You decided to show your face again, I see!" Mally boldly told me. I laughed and poked her stomach, in which she growled and swished her sword at me.

"Of course!" I remarked. "Why wouldn't I? I love it here." Mally giggled, a sound like a quiet squeak. It was quite adorable.

"So we made a huge discovery on the suspect!" Mally continued and hopped down from her seat, taking a few strides over to the spot where Alice and I had fallen through in my second visit to Wonderland. Everything looked the same, except there were a few markings upon one of the stone benches.

"Ooh, fantastic! Someone left us some artwork," I answered sarcastically, tilting my head to read it.

"From what I understand," Time spoke up. "It says, 'Bring the blonde-haired girl to me, or the rest will cease to be. Signed, B.K.' What does this mean?" I shook my head, not understanding what the initials were for, but I know this person had to be talking about Alice.

"The Black Knight."

I turned around to see Iracebeth joining our conversation. Her eyes were peeled on the markings, shaking her head in dismay.

"The Black Knight took Mirana," she hissed. "I should have known." Iracebeth held her hands on her forehead in frustration. I carefully shook her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay Iracebeth. Who is the Black Knight? Can you tell us?" I asked warily, trying not to anger her further. The Red Queen took in several deep breaths, until her hands fell to her sides.

"The Black Knight is..." she whispered, her voice draining out slightly like she didn't know what to say.

"Forgotten."


	4. Chapter 4

[ A/N: hey ! if you are new to my little series, welcome. If not, welcome back c:

This chapter, i felt, might be a bit hard to understand if i don't explain it. Before i wrote the first chapter, i was looking for a new villain to cast and i noted that there were a few characters that hadn't been added in the disney's alice in wonderland film- and a lightbulb popped up!

Basically, i had this idea that alice knew other characters in her first visit to Wonderland, but as she grew older, she forgot about them except the main characters (Hatter, Cheshire, Red Queen, etc.) the ones that were ignored were taken to a dark part of Wonderland called the Shadowlands. This chapter is going to be a flashback of the new villain of my story talking with Alice when she first arrived, and how he ended up- but it's really Iracebeth that is telling the story to Maisie and the others.

I hope that made sense. Any questions or concerns, please inbox me. I like criticism and i'm open to any ideas that my readers may have ! thanks guys. ]

* * *

 _Her hair was blonde. Her eyes were full of wonder, such innocence should be preserved surely. Her blue dressed sparkled with light, flowing softly in the warm breeze. The young girl walked towards me, holding hands with Mirana, our beautiful queen. The queen gave me a graceful curtsy, her white dress scrapping the walk-way and stood back up properly. The little one quickly followed Mirana, which caused me to chuckle. I gripped the spear tightly in my hand and saluted them both, holding my white-gloved hand up to my helmet and sat it back down onto the end of the spear._

" _Greetings, your majesty!" I said in my strong voice. My mother told me that I would be a commander when I grew up, due to how deep my voice developed over the years and how I was chivalrous with every Underland inhabitant that crossed my path. It was true; I truly admired people and their generosity. Above all, I loved the attention I got as the Head White Knight of Marmoreal. I got praised daily, given huge banquets thrown in my honor of protecting Mirana all of these years and gifts that never ceased to end._

" _Hello Donte," Mirana greeted me in her soft tone. "I would like to introduce Alice, a visitor from a far away land." My blue eyes peered through the helmet, looking down at the small girl. She gave me a bright smile, but I could tell she was unsure what to think about me. I wondered if I frightened her, so in order to contain my likeable behavior, I placed the spear down on the marble ground and removed my helmet. My platinum hair poked up, standing up like I had been electrified. Alice giggled, covering her mouth with her hand as I pulled the strands back down with my gloved hands._

" _He is funny!" she remarked, letting go of Mirana's hand and walked closer to me. "Hello Mr. Donte, I'm Alice Kingsleigh." Her small hand stuck out and she continued to smile up at me. Since I towered over her, I kneeled down in front of her and carefully shook her hand._

" _Hello Alice," I responded with a small smile. "It's lovely to have you visiting Wonderland. Are you having fun?" Alice nodded her head wildly, her blonde hair bobbing back and forth._

" _Yes! The White Queen and I were to have a spot of tea before I leave. Would you like to join us?" Alice questioned boldly, while Mirana giggled under her breath. I liked the child; she wasn't like the others. She was very curious, but could be strong enough to hold herself on her own._

" _I'm afraid I have matters to take care of, but I hope you enjoy your tea," I informed her. Alice looked a bit sad, but understood and Mirana took her away from me. I flashed them each a smile, and then returned the helmet back onto my head._

"He doesn't seem too bad!" I commented, interrupting Iracebeth's storytelling. She shot me a glare, folding her hands over her chest.

"I haven't even gotten to the good part," she hissed towards me. I tilted my head, thinking for a moment. I had gone with Alice to Wonderland the first time, why don't I remember this Donte? Oh right! Now I remembered. I was with Iracebeth at the time, playing that odd game of croquet. I settled back into Time's side, continuing to listen to the story.

"Anyway, Alice and you left shortly after that," Iracebeth began.

 _I missed Alice, and I felt like she missed me too. I seemed to fade away with the memories of her, feeling more empty than usual. I tried to tell Mirana how I felt, but she told me I was being silly. I wasn't._

 _Then, she came back. She was much older, but still had that same head of blonde hair. I was so excited to meet her, but when I raced to greet her, Alice only asked me this one question that drove me insane,_

" _Who are you?"_

 _Who am I?! I gritted my teeth and stomped off, anger boiling in my veins. How could she forget me? Alice was so sweet, but yet- She had forgotten! I couldn't control my rage, as I began to attack a few of my fellow soldiers. They were teasing me, seeing the tears in my eyes and I couldn't handle it._

 _Only one died from my hand._

 _Mirana banished me from Marmoreal, upset at my behavior but I didn't care. I didn't. I loved Alice, but she loved that strange Hatter instead. I despised her; I wish she was dead._

 _Before I knew it, I was in the darkness. A few other inhabitants were there, explaining to me that this was the Shadowlands, a place for the forgotten. I could barely make out anything, only letting the voices guide me through the dark pathways. That day, my heart died. I wasn't my strong self anymore._

 _My platinum hair turned black as night, my blue eyes became an eerie green color and my warm skin was cracked and cold. I wanted revenge on Mirana and Alice for hurting me this way. I wanted to hurt them, like how they hurt me._

 _My name was no longer the White Knight; no. I was the Black Knight._

Holding my breath, I realized I was gripping too tightly onto Time. I was already feeling frightened of this man, even though he was just an emotional wreckage, like how Iracebeth had been. I slowly loosened my grip when Iracebeth ended her tale and held my head in my hands. This knight seemed crazy.

"So- Where can we find this man?" Time asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There is no way to get to the Shadowlands unless you are forgotten by Alice," Iracebeth informed us. "It's impossible to track down the Black Knight. He leaves no trails of his presence, except if he wants to be found." I leaped up, pointing dramatically to the window.

"The black sand! That must from him!" I gasped out loud.

"Probably. I've heard stories that the Shadowlands is only black sand alone," Iracebeth hinted. "We must hurry if we want to save my sister. Who knows what could have happened to her." I bit my lip, nodding.

"Right! Okay," I began. "We need everyone we can get. We'll split into groups, and search every corner of Wonderland." Before I could even blink, all of my old friends had returned. Cheshire grinned at me with his wide smile, the twins laughed happily, Hatter topped his hat off at me, Bayard wagged his tail with happiness, and the Bandersnatch flopped about like a small puppy. There were also a few White Guards that decided to stay behind to watch Marmoreal.

"Tell us what to do, Maisie," McTwisp murmured. "It's up to you."

"McTwisp, you, Mally and Bayard travel to gardens of Underland. Iracebeth, take the Bandersnatch and search Witzend. Hatter, you and Cheshire go to the Red Desert. Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum can go to Tulgey Wood, while Time and I stay in Salazen Grum." They all agreed to their locations, and without further ado, they raced off in search of our beloved queen.

"Where is that?" Time asked me, leaning close.

"Oh, it's someplace positively marvelous," I responded sarcastically as I reached for one the horses a White Guard had given me. "You'll see." Time made a face as we both hopped on. He held onto me for dear life, staring down at the ground. "You don't like horses?"

"I'm not very fond of them," he admitted.

"Don't worry," I giggled back at him and allowed the horse into a full trot, making Time whimper. "You'll be fine."


	5. Chapter 5

Isolated. Isolated was the first word that came to mind when Time and I arrived at the port city of Salazen Grum. Located in-between sharp, mountain peaks and plastered in the center of the Red Desert, it was only a place for the most malicious of monsters. Crossing the Crimson Sea that surrounded the land had to be the most difficult part, however. I left the white horse at the entrance of the harbor, in which he neighed thoughtfully and nuzzled himself onto the dusty ground to rest. I hoped he would be okay.

Time and I walked across the rickety planks of damaged wood, holding onto the protective railings as we went on. Eventually, the roped railings ran out, the rest of them been thrown into the deep sea. I could spot a few dangerous looking fish swimming about, their yellow eyes staring at me and gnashing their teeth. I shuddered and continued across the boardwalk.

"So! What kind of exciting things did you do while I was away?" I decided to ask Time, hoping to steer his mind away from the fear of falling into the sea. He wobbled a bit against a broken plank and quickly skipped to the next one.

"I can't say I've done much," Time responded slowly, as he was trying to concentrate on crossing the bridge. "I've just done my job, watched over my castle and occasionally got invited over to banquets at Marmoreal."

"Ooh, what was that like?" I asked and skipped over a piece of rotting wood. I could make out the former castle of the Red Queen in the distance, but there was a strange mist hovering over it. It wasn't like your normal morning fog; it was thick and black, which raised my suspicions even more.

"I never went to one," Time answered. I looked back at him, gasping dramatically.

"Never? Oh my-" I began, but since I wasn't looking where I was going, I didn't realize I was headed straight for an open gap in the planks. My left leg went through first, being cut by the sharp wood. Luckily, my right leg sprawled out and held my body up from falling into the abyss all together. Unfortunately for me, those fish monsters were just itching for the opportunity to take a chomp out of me, and raced towards my dangling leg.

I could feel the planks rustle and creak as Time rushed towards me. I tried to remain calm, but my leg hurt so very badly. I could feel blood leaking from the backside of my leg, in which I gritted my teeth and tried to swing my leg back over. It did no good before Time reached me and hauled me up; just in the nick of time. I heard a splash in the water, and one of the piranha looking fish was dangling from my shoe. It's teeth were embedded in my black flats, and I let out a yelp of surprise.

Time grabbed it by it's fat body and chucked it back into the water. It had taken a chunk of my shoe with it, but at least I was safe. I drew in a breath and finally looked down at my leg to see what the damage was. You know, for being scraped against some wood, you wouldn't think it would be that bad? Wrong. Dirt mixed in with my own blood made it look ten times worse. There were several minor scratches, but on the back of my leg, oh gosh- My skin was peeling and- You get the picture.

"Does it hurt?" Time asked me, kneeling next to my injured leg and examined the wounds. I gave him a look, hissing in pain when one of the scratches began to throb.

"It feels like heaven," I muttered jokingly, trying to keep a smile on my face even though it hurt bitterly.

"Will you allow me to bandage it?" Time questioned me. I looked up at the walk-way, trying to see if I could make it off of this damn platform. We had walked about three fourths of the way, so I decided that I could walk the rest of the way and get someplace more safe than hovering over the Crimson Sea.

"Can we get to land and then worry about me?" I looked back at him. Time raised his eyebrows in shock, and before I could protest, he picked me up in his arms in that infamous bridal style. I struggled a bit, my stubborn behavior becoming more apparent. I could walk this way; no problem!

"I will always worry about you. You are too headstrong," Time chuckled and began to make his way across the boardwalk. I pouted and folded my arms, nuzzling my face into his chest. I could hear the ticking of his clock speed up slightly when I did so, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Why do you do that?" I inquired.

"Why do I do what?" Time looked down at me and I pointed to his clock with my index finger.

"Your clock skips a tick," I remarked. I could see pink rush onto his cheeks and Time looked back down at the ground, watching where he stepped.

"It always seems to do that whenever you are around," Time commented. "I suppose it's like a human heart when it sees something it loves and it skips a beat." I giggled gently, lightly kissing the edge of the smaller grand clock. Once again, it ticked faster.

"That's rather adorable," I mentioned. Time blushed again, and then asked me a very important question; not like the one previously, but still-

"What did you do while you were absent from Underland?"

I bit my lip. There was no way he didn't notice my wedding attire when I arrived a few hours ago, and I could sense a hint of sadness in his voice. I needed to tell him the truth; no use lying to him. I could never bring myself to do that.

"Well, my father's business was going to be crushed to the ground so to speak. We didn't have enough money to pay the loans on the building, and no one seemed to shop there anymore," I began. "But please! This was not my idea, it was my mothers. She met a lady one day who happened to be Lady McCormick, and her son, Gregory needed to be married in order to get the throne from his father one day. In return, she promised my mother riches and a beautiful mansion. Before I knew it, my mother took me to an engagement party and Gregory proposed to me. I didn't want to marry him, but I felt awful for my parents so...I agreed. I was just about to get married when I heard the ticking of the clock." I drew in a breath, noting that Time had fallen silent. "I don't want to go back to that place ever again, nor do I think I am welcome. My mother said some very hurtful things to me whilst I left, so I want to stay here." Time blinked his blue eyes, curiously staring down at me.

"You want to stay?" he echoed.

"Yes. I do not belong there anymore," I murmured. "I never have to begin with. That's why when the time comes, I will not go down empty rabbit holes or go through a mirror- I am staying and that's final!" I gave him a bright smile, ignoring the pain on my leg. Time gave me a weary smile, which made me concerned. Did he not want me to stay?

"Darling, I would love for you to stay," Time reflected on my speech. "I would do anything to have you stay here, but are you sure that is wise? You'll be leaving Alice, your family and your friends behind. You'll never see them again." I know I would miss Alice the most, but she was my truest friend. The rest of them were boring and only wanted to do things their way. It was very annoying.

"Alice visits here frequently," I noted. "I would see her again."

"I-" Time continued, but paused. "It's your decision. I will not stop you." I looked up at him, confused.

"Do you not want me to be here?" I whispered.

"No! I want you to be here, I just.. I don't want to take you away from what is most important," Time told me. "I want you to make your own decisions, but I will give you my honest opinions." I nodded slowly, understanding. I've made up my mind, but I would need to hear him out on these types of situations.

"Thank you Time," I said with a small smile. "I appreciate your thoughts on the matter." He gave me a smile, not before giving me a kiss on my forehead and setting me back down onto the dusty ground. He held my hands, holding me steady as I attempted to walk on the rust-colored floor.

It hurt so incredibly bad, but I managed to make it to a small boulder in front of a dying tree. It looked so very sad, and I wish I had water to give it. I sat down, holding my leg up while Time removed the robe on his sides. He tore a strip off, and began to wrap the fabric around my wounds. I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore the pain as Time tied it off at the base of my knee.

"There," Time stated. "That should at least stop the bleeding." I smiled up at him and decided to stand once again. Yes, the pain didn't cease but at least I didn't feel like I was leaking my blood everywhere.

"Let's continue!" I chirped happily and wobbled off, hoping to get used to the agony rising in my veins. Time made sure that he at least kept one arm around my waist, balancing me so that I didn't fall over. I don't know what I would do without him, honestly. When I first met him, I thought that he was going to be extremely rude towards Alice and me, but he wasn't. He was so very kind, yet not a hero or a villain. I caught myself looking up at him as we walked, smiling to myself as well. I really did love him. Why couldn't he come back and live with me? Ugh; sometimes I hated Wonderland.

After a few more moments of skipping over fallen pieces of rubble and sharp rocks, we made it to the former castle of the Red Queen. Through the thick fog, I could make out that it was completely dead; meaning it had no color and the walls were cracking. It seemed to be falling apart, but I remembered this place clearly. I recall riding back with Iracebeth on her chariot and two, strong black horses pulling us there. I was so afraid, yet happy to be someplace where Alice had not been yet. Now, I realize the danger that it put me in, but as a child- danger was never in our minds.

"He has got to be here," I heard Time mumble as we made it to the front entrance. I couldn't help but agree more. The darkness had gotten more severe when we got closer to the castle, I could barely breathe. I waved my hand in front of my face.

"We can't do this alone," I whispered to him. "Especially since my leg is giving me issues. Let's just gather evidence that the Black Knight is here, and we can go back to Marmoreal." Before I could even hear Time's response, I heard a scream. I didn't sound like Mirana, and especially not the March Hare. It was too familiar, and my mind searched rapidly for the answer. Who was it?

Only one name held in my mind, but there was no way!

It sounded like Alice, my beloved best friend.


	6. Chapter 6

"That was Alice!" I cried out, struggling with all my might against Time's strong grasp. He held me tightly in his arms, and had been holding me back from marching my way up the steps and confronting the Black Knight. He had Alice in there; I knew it. It sounded exactly like her, and I needed to save her. I knew what the Black Knight was going to do with her, and it scared the daylights out of me.

"Maisie, please calm down!" Time whispered softly in my ear. "It's an illusion. It's all an illusion." His voice cooed silently in my ear, relaxing my muscles and calming my busy mind. I allowed myself to fall back into his arms, the pain in my leg throbbing more since I had been thrashing about. I still could hear Alice screaming, but I was eager to hear what Time had to say.

"What do you mean?" I questioned him, my eyes boring holes into the cracked plaster that surrounded the weed-infested garden.

"I know it might sound crazy, but I think I've figured out what's going on here," Time explained, pulling my gaze away from the screams and made me look at him. "Those aren't Alice's screams I hear; they are yours." My eyes widened with confusion. I was the one screaming? How could this be?

"But I'm right here!" I found myself saying.

"Yes, and that's where this dark magic preys on us. It finds out what we most fear, and turns it into reality. Although, it's really not. It's just a trick," Time murmured. "You hear Alice, because you are scared of losing her and I hear you for the same reason. The Black Knight wants us to go up there and find this so-called 'person'. However, I am sure when we go up there, we will be greeted only by him." I blinked.

"You are really smart, you know that?" I grinned brightly. Time's cheeks flushed gently and he turned away. Honestly, now this whole situation made complete sense. The Black Knight was just faking it so that we would fall right into his trap and steal us away from Wonderland. I knew that he wanted to get even with Alice and Mirana, but what else was he doing up there?

"We should travel back to Marmoreal and deliver the news," Time told me, his hand slipping into mine. "Are you alright to walk?" I nodded my head, biting my lip to hide the intense flaring of the wounds. I just didn't want him to feel bad for me; I hated doing that to people I loved. I saw him nod his head in acknowledgement and we began our long journey back to the marble city of Marmoreal.

Marmoreal was being guarded heavily by Mirana's guards. They circled the perimeter, never letting their eyes off the horizon as they waited for our returns. I could tell they wished to charge out and rescue their beloved queen, but they knew the risks. I held my breath, walking up to the courtyard with cherry blossoms surrounding the area. We weren't the first group back; Iracebeth, the Bandersnatch, Hatter, and Cheshire had returned previously. They were talking amongst one another in hushed voices, minus the Bandersnatch which plopped down onto the cool ground and rested.

I dismounted the white steed, placing the reigns in the hands of his handler and bid him goodbye. The horse bowed its head towards me, and I walked up to where my friends were located. They hadn't noticed Time and I just yet, so I leaned my head in next to Iracebeth.

"Why hello there!" I chirped happily. Iracebeth let out a yelp of surprise, flinging her arms up and scurried away from her seat. I couldn't help but laugh. She huffed in anger, her face flushed with embarrassment as the others chortled.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Iracebeth ordered, pointing her finger at me. I swooped in, taking a seat next to the absent one where she previously rested.

"Oh I was just kidding around with you," I responded and placed my hands in my lap. The Tarrant held his hand up to his mouth, still snickering at the event that just took place. Iracebeth shot him a warning glare, and then returned to her seat, turning slightly away from me. "Anyway! What news do you have?"

"Well-" Cheshire began, appearing out of thin air behind my head. "We didn't do too well. We found no signs of the Black Knight, only a new friend." I tilted my head as Tarrant removed his hat from his head. Standing on top of his wild head of hair, was a tiny, fennec fox. It's ears flopped against its tiny head and bore large, green eyes that stared pitifully up at the onlooker. My heart literally melted just then and there.

"Oooh my gosh!" I murmured and stood up, slowly walking towards it. The animal sniffed the air, smelling all of the different scents and made a cooing sound in its throat. However, when it noticed I was approaching it, the fox scurried further back on Tarrant's head. "No, no! It's okay. I won't hurt you." I held out a small hand towards the adorable thing. It sniffed the tips of my fingers, and when it realized that I was safe, it rubbed its furry cheeks against them.

I carefully picked the tiny thing in my arms. It cooed once again, nuzzling its face against the fabric of my dress.

"We were thinking of naming him Floppy," Cheshire continued. "Although, that does not seem so clever outloud."

"I like Vermundur!" Tarrant began, holding a hand up in the air like a child in class, wanting to give the answer to the current question. "It means brave, and that's exactly what this little fellow is. We could even call him Mun for short!" I giggled softly, stroking Mun's ears back.

"I like that name too," I responded, and then turned around to face Time, whom had been rather quiet for this discussion. He looked at Mun, raising an eyebrow at it. He did not look amused.

"Is that a rat?" Time asked. All at once, we gasped (except for Iracebeth.) I held little Mun up to Time's face, probably putting him a bit too close.

"He is not a rat!" I answered. "He's cute!" Time grimaced and backed away from the creature. Mun looked a bit disappointed, but scurried back down my pale arm and rested his tiny body on my shoulder like a parrot.

"We don't have the means to let this whole thing drawl on! We need to end the Black Knight and save Mirana," Time hissed under his breath. The whole happy atmosphere dropped down; even Mun's ears drooped against his small head. Tarrant's smile quickly disappeared, and Cheshire went away from our view. I knew that we had to help them, but I wanted to keep the mood happy.

"Time, I'm sorry," I started to apologize, but Time waved his hand in front of my face to silence me.

"Forget about it," he answered, still sounding angry. I frowned softly, placing Mun down onto the ground so I could figure out what exactly was going on with him. He didn't even look at me; his blue eyes staring off in the distance. I didn't like it.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked. Time seemed like he was doing okay until now. I wonder what happened. Still, I got no answer from him. "Please tell me. What's troubling you?" I laid a hand over his shoulder, but he did the unthinkable. He slapped my hand away. The stinging went away after a few seconds, but there was a permanent crack in my heart. Why would Time think its okay to hit me? I pulled back my hand, staring at him with sadness in my hazel eyes.

"Never hit me again," I told him angrily, even though I knew I was going to cry any moment now. I needed to stay strong. "Do you hear me?" Time huffed, obviously frustrated. All I wanted to know is what was wrong, and if I could help! I didn't need this drama from him. I got nothing from silence from him, even after he had hurt me.

"Time? What is wrong? Please, we can help!" Tarrant murmured softly, hoping to help aid me.

"This!" Time finally lost it, pointing at all of us. "You are all the problem! Yes, I know that the idiotic creature is cute, but frankly, I do not care! I do not care about any of this! We have not progressed since the moment we got here, and that is because of you!" His finger pointed at me, like a lightning bolt entering my broken heart. I stared at him, my eyes now welling up with tears. That was the icing on the sad cake for me. I wiped my eyes that were stained with my fallen, crystal tears.

"Do not blame Maisie," Iracebeth took my side. "We do understand how dire the situation is, but let alone should you hit the girl that is more than willing to be by your side at all times. You disgust me." With that, she stood in front of me, a small smile on her face. Honestly, this made me cry harder; the fact that the most villainous character in Wonderland was being this kind to me. I couldn't help it; I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tighter than I had ever done.

"Thank you Iracebeth," I murmured, hearing footsteps echo away from our location. I knew it was Time walking from the situation, but I didn't care. He needed to go sort out whatever he was battling in his mind. "I don't know why he would hurt me that way." She removed me from her arms, patting them lightly.

"He just needs to calm down," she answered. "I'm sure after he thinks about what he has done, he'll come apologize." I nodded my head slowly, returning to my seat. Mun pranced around my legs, giving out short barks of happiness. I giggled and held him in my arms, cradling him. He was already starting to make me feel better.

"If you are up to it Maisie, do you mind sharing what you discovered?" Cheshire pressed his question, floating above us with his tail surrounding his body. Oh yes! I nearly forgot. I wiped my eyes and proceeded to tell them;

"Well, we arrived at your former castle-" I began, nodding towards Iracebeth. "And there was this black mist surrounding the area. I could hear screaming, and it sounded like Alice. However, Time only heard me screaming and told me that it was an illusion; that the Black Knight wanted us to come up the tower so he could capture us. I am most sure he is there." I sounded horribly stuffy due to me crying; I hope they didn't mind.

"Time knew that?" Iracebeth asked.

"Yes," I replied. She gave a look towards the castle where Time had entered to throw his pity party, and then back at me.

"We'll need to gather the guards and have some stay here, while the rest go to Salazen Grum. I fear that this might be Mirana's last stand, and that worries me terribly," Iracebeth explained. "I know she is strong, but not too strong."

"She's fine!" Tarrant chirped and grinned brightly. "I feel it, and so is the March Hare. They are just baiting us."

"Are you sure?" Iracebeth shot back, raising her eyebrow. "I do believe he is not baiting us, but doing something much bigger."

"What do you think?" I questioned.

"I-I.. I don't know. But I just have that weird feeling," Iracebeth murmured. I shrugged my shoulders, Mun chirping slightly up at me for moving whilst he was napping.

"Let's wait until the others have arrived, and then we'll decide what will happen," I told them.

* * *

[ A/N: okay okay

this chapter literally broke me. like seriously. why would Time do that-

oh! i know why he'd do that; you just don't know ;) its a secret, muhawhaw..

or perhaps you do know? if you do, kudos to you ! see you in the next chapter ! ]


	7. Chapter 7

I tried to listen. I really tried to understand the words spewing from the mouths of my friends, but I couldn't because of what Time did to me. I stared down at my right hand. It wasn't bruising or anything; just turning a soft pink color from the discomfort it received. I took in a sigh and brushed away some more tears that appeared in my hazy eyes. What had I done wrong this time? No, I can't think like that. I did nothing wrong. Time was obviously going through some things, and he needed to work them out by himself. He didn't need me protecting him twenty-four/seven.

Mun nudged his small, wet nose against my ankle and cooed up at me, sympathetically. I gave him a reassuring smile, in which he accepted that I was fine and bounced off to do whatever little foxes do. He was such a curious thing; I wondered why he didn't speak like the rest of the animals here. I propped my head up on my hand, thinking. You know, now that I thought about Mun, that is rather curious.

The only animal that can't speak was the Bandersnatch; then again he was more of a gigantic, loveable monster than anything. Mun was a fox, and so he should be able to speak, right? Something sounded strange about this whole thing. I tapped my finger against my freckled cheek, not realizing that everyone had stopped their conversation and all eyes were on me. I even began to chomp down on one of my fingernails to calm my nervousness.

"Maisie?" McTwisp asked finally, tilting his head to the side. "Are you having a thought?" The sound of my name being called drew me into reality and I snapped my head upright. Slow, nervous laughs erupted in my chest, and embarrassment blushed onto my cheeks.

"Sorry. I tend to do that a lot," I answered and placed my arms in my lap.

"She had a bad day too," Iracebeth stood up for me, clearing her throat. "Time behaving poorly, and Maisie didn't take too well to it." I made a face. Yes, it hurt that Time did this to me, but I still could survive without a man by my side. A woman should be independent, no matter the costs. She should be able to do as she pleases, without being reminded of the stakes or rules. That's how I wanted to truly run my life. I wanted to be free, basically.

From since I can remember, my mother banished my thoughts of imagination and happiness, turning them against me. I barely even had a childhood; that's why I admired Alice so much. She could do what she pleased, and she could imagine things. As I grew older, the short lessons about table etiquette and manners became how to style your hair perfectly, or how to brighten any man's day. Ugh. I was merely a teenager when my mother put me through that hell. I only wished I could have a year of imagination and escape reality; like Wonderland! I'd love to stay here, but given the circumstances of Time..

"Maisie. You are doing it again," the sound of Tarrant's voice echoed into my head, making me shake my head slightly and sit up straight. I flashed a smile to them all.

"Sorry! I have so much to think about!" I giggled, hoping I didn't show how upset I truly was.

"That's alright," Cheshire purred behind me, curling his tail around his body and his bright eyes stared down at me. "Do you mind sharing? Maybe we could help?" He purred once again, a smile appearing on his bushy cheeks. Gah, I wanted to reach out and just cuddle him. I loved cats terribly.

"Oh, no. It's quite alright," I answered back. "I was just thinking about my mother, and everyone back home. I do have something rather important to tell you, now that I have you gathered here." I stood up from my cold seat, hoping that they would agree with my decision to live in Wonderland permanently.

"I want to live here for the rest of my life. I've been considering it for a while now and I wanted you all to voice your opinion on it." The small group fell silent. Tarrant eyed McTwisp, whom shuddered nervously and Cheshire held a paw over his smiling face.

"M-Maisie," Mally whispered, tugging on the edge of my dress. "Is that wise of you? Leaving everything behind?"

"My family doesn't even want me there. Before I even got here, I was going through the most dreadful event of my whole life. I don't want to go back," I replied.

"I'd love for you to stay!" Tarrant giggled with a wide smile. "That way, when Alice visits, we could have tea already prepared for her!" I smiled, knowing that he would agree with me.

"I don't," McTwisp murmured. "I'm sorry. I don't think it's the best choice. You have a family back there, and what if Alice forgets about you? You'll end up like the Black Knight!"

"Alice is Maisie's best friend," Iracebeth shot back. "She would never!" She then turned to me, her eyes bright from the sun's rays above my amber locks of hair. "Stay."

"And I vote she stays as well," Mally squeaked up at me, waving her sword around like she had won some kind of competition.

"Thrice!" Cheshire threw in. "Maisie stays." I beamed brightly, picking Mun up who found himself back at my feet. Since everyone was cheering, well except the white rabbit, Mun began to make this adorable chirping noise. I giggled and tickled his stomach, watching his tail whoosh in the sweet breeze.

"I knew you'd all agree," Tarrant remarked, glancing at all of us until he looked towards me. All emotion dropped off; like peeling a bandage from your wound. The laughter began to die down around me, and I felt like some creepy aura was behind me. Mun whimpered nervously and hopped down from my arms, scurrying back over to Tarrant.

"We need to talk."

The thick, Austrian accent couldn't belong to anyone else that I knew here. I narrowed my eyes and turned, the white dress hitting the backs of my legs. Time looked different; he wasn't happy like he was before. He looked so strange, and I couldn't bare to look at him like that.

"I don't want to talk with you," I told him bluntly, folding my arms. "You still haven't apologized for hitting me." Mally gasped, obviously not hearing about the news and pulled out her trusty blade.

"He did what?!" she demanded. Time looked amused at the tiny mouse's courage, and then drifted his gaze back to me.

"I apologize for hurting you. I wasn't thinking, and it was very rude of me. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't want to talk to me at all," Time responded, his tone seeming sincere but... Something wasn't right. His eyes didn't shine anymore. He looked too serious.

"Hmm, fine," I mumbled, but before I could turn away to ignore him, Time's arms caught me in full spin.

"I still would like to speak with you in privacy," he murmured.

"But what if I don't want to talk to you at all? Isn't that what you said? You wouldn't be surprised?" I shot back with a grin, trying to joke around with him. Time didn't crack a smile or anything. "Huh. Tough guy. Alright, fine. I'll be back!" I waved towards my friends, in which they bid me goodbye. Time led me towards where he had gone in the first place, inside of the White Queen's castle. I stepped into the cool atmosphere, letting the white double doors shut behind me.

"I thought we could continue our little- erm, celebration?" Time began, making me raise my eyebrows. Celebration? What? "Rather, um, engagement?" Oh!

"Why now?" I asked him, honestly not feeling like answering him at the moment. He didn't seem himself, and.. I just don't know. It was irritating me.

"Because I love you and I want to protect you for the rest of my life."

Aw. How 'sweet.'

"Okay! Well then, explain how protecting me means to hit me on the wrist and storm away like a three year old."

He froze, Time's eyebrows twitching against his blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay? I was really upset and I lost control. I wanted to apologize, but I went to cool off so I wouldn't hurt anyone else," he answered. I raised an eyebrow, plastering my arms around my chest. I still didn't believe him, but I had to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay," I answered. "I understand." Time smiled and went to hug me, but I dodged it. "Not yet. I still don't trust you." He let out a sigh, sounding more irritated than before. What was up with him? "Time, seriously. What is wrong? Please tell me." He shook his head, bringing his mechanical hand up to his head.

"You wouldn't understand," he sighed. "No one would. I'm sorry. I want to tell you, but I cannot." I tapped my shoe against the marble, listening to it echo through the halls and thought of a response. None came to mind.

"That's okay," I finally brought my stubborn self to admit. "I love you." He flashed a smile at me, reassuring me that he was going to be okay; hopefully.

"I love you too," he murmured, and just then, I heard a rather large cry from outside. It sounded like Iracebeth, but I couldn't have been sure. I busted the doors open, my eyes falling on the most terrifying sight I would ever bestow.

A black mare, with piercing green eyes and a strong body. Small puffs of black (like the mist I saw earlier) surrounded it's pointed hooves, dusting it against the marble below. The rider was cloaked in black armor, with a black helmet and a small feather attached to the top. The horse reared up at the sight of me, neighing powerfully. It shook my heart, making my breath quicken.

It was the Black Knight.

I could see my friends scurry away from the area, including Iracebeth that hopped on the Bandersnatch and rode away to safety. However, the Black Knight's eyes were bestowed on me. I could sense that he was grinning from behind the helmet, and I shuddered at how creepy that felt.

"Where is Alice?" a deep, groggy voice echoed from the metal. "Where are you hiding her?" I clenched my fists, taking a few steps up towards the knight. Yes, I should be fearing for my life, but I got a sudden burst of courage. He wasn't a threat; only an emotional man that obviously needed to talk with my friend about the way she treated him. Unfortunately, I knew the Black Knight would not see it my way.

"She's not here," I responded. "Now my turn to ask questions. Why do you want Alice so badly?" The knight chuckled, turning himself around so he faced me.

"So I can get revenge for what she has done to me, by turning this world and the other into one. I could rule both in terror and pain, the same way she casted me out!" he hissed. I raised my eyebrows. Woah! This guy was crazy. He wanted to bridge Wonderland and reality together? Could he even do that?

"Um, how do you plan to do that?" I questioned, pointing my finger at him. "I bet you are just joking, right? Heh. This guy. A kidder, right?" I wouldn't be surprised if he raised an eyebrow at my weak attempt to be funny.

"Everything will be answered soon at dawn tomorrow," the Black Knight growled. "You'll see. You all will see!" And with that, he let out a hellish laugh and rode off into the darkening mountain range. I stood there, dazed and confused; more nervous than anything. He wished to bring out his plans tomorrow? That didn't leave us anytime at all!

"What do we do?" Time whispered. I could only think of one answer; one answer that could get us all killed, but we had to try. I puffed out my chest, placing one hand on my hip.

"We fight. For Wonderland, and for Alice."


	8. Chapter 8

I raced forward, gathering all of my bitter strength and entered the courtyard after several minutes of preparing myself for the fight ahead. Luckily for me, Iracebeth spotted the armor Alice used to slay the Jabberwocky, and I was a good fit for it. Unfortunately, Alice was a head taller than me and I slightly sunk into the armor. I could still see though, and move correctly. That's all that mattered.

"Here," Iracebeth voiced and opened a long, silver box at the end of the courtroom. It was similar to the ballroom, but it symbolized a courtroom. There was a podium, dozens of seats that stacked up on one another and a crystal chandelier hanging above us. I wondered what sort of judgement Mirana could cast in here; she was the queen after all. I watched as Iracebeth unsheathed a beautiful sword, shining with the white light of the room. She approached me, setting the handle down in my right palm and smiled.

"Ooh! It's very pretty," I gasped and gave it a swing, fortunately missing Iracebeth by a few inches. She leaped back, growling in irritation.

"Be careful! The vorpal sword is not a toy," Iracebeth warned me. "This very blade was used to kill my Jabber-baby-wocky, and you shall use it to slay the Black Knight." My eyes shifted back to the blade, admiring how it fit in my hand so perfectly.

I was so worried. I had no proper training in swordsmanship, and everyone that I asked told me that it would be easy or it would come to me. McTwisp even told me that the sword speaks for itself, and will guide me. How annoying. Its impossible for a sword to guide me with its slices and dices of an enemy- Oh wait. There was no such thing as impossible here. Maybe they were telling the truth. I sheathed the vorpal sword and took in a breath, anxiety bursting in my heart.

"I'm scared Iracebeth," I murmured. "What if I fail at slaying him? What if I let everyone down?" Her hand fell onto my arm, shaking her large head softly.

"It is impossible for you to fail here," she told me.

"But what if I do?" I snapped. "I could die; we all could die."

"That's a risk we are all willing to take," Iracebeth reminded me. It was still so odd that the cruelest person in Wonderland was being so supportive to me. "Come now, we must gather the guards to fight beside us. Who knows what forces we will be met with." She began to move away, but I stopped her.

"Iracebeth? Can I get your opinion on something?" I asked her, softly. "It's something really important and you can't tell anyone." Iracebeth paused and took a step back to face me. I felt like I could trust her about the whole situation with Time; not him being strange, but the other part.

"What is it?" Iracebeth questioned. I pressed my palms together, feeling my face heat up.

"When I first arrived, Time asked me a very forward question," I began. "I'm just going to come right out and say it. He asked me to marry him." I could see a flash of jealousy echo in Iracebeth's cold eyes, which didn't look too good for me.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Um, I don't know what to do about it," I murmured. "He's been acting so bizarre. He's not himself anymore and it bugs me! Should I just... decline?" I didn't want to, but something was pulling me back from saying yes.

"I think you should wait until this whole thing blows over, and then deal with it," Iracebeth bluntly answered. "You'll realize something about Time that you never have." I raised an eyebrow. What did that mean?

"Do you know something I don't know?" I asked. She shrugged her tiny shoulders, spinning on her heels and began to exit the room.

"We shall see," Iracebeth commented and left me to stand alone, with nothing but the vorpal sword in hand. I gripped it tightly in the ironclad gloves, hearing the metal squeak against the handle. It almost sounded like nails on a chalk board. Quickly, I looped it through the belt I was given and raced off after Iracebeth.

I was greeted by my friends, and hundreds of the white guards. They murmured to one another, making me even more nervous than before. I had to give them that encouraging speech that a hero would give in a film, and nothing made me want to cry more than public speaking. I knew I'd screw this up, but I had to try.

I scrambled up onto one of the benches, a few of the guards noticing me and looked in my direction. That alone made me begin to shake from anxiety. Ugh. Why couldn't I be more brave? Tarrant eyed me, giving me a tiny thumbs up while Mun chirped happily. I smiled at them, and then drew in a breath.

"Excuse me!" I called out, letting my voice do it's own thing. Suddenly, everyone turned towards me and the words in my head disappeared. Crap. "Uh, h-hello! How's everyone doing?"

"Fine!" Tarrant answered with a wide smile.

"A-Ah, well that's good!" I replied, fumbling with my thumbs. "Um.. Let's see.. We all know what we are supposed to do? You know, attack the Black Knight and..." I drawled off, watching everyone whisper to one another as they got more and more confused by every waking moment. Instantly, a new feeling came over me; I felt strong. This was just a speech, right? I could easily do this! I took in another breath, and started over

"The Black Knight isn't our enemy. He has been clouded with his hatred and anger towards our queen and Alice, the visitor from long ago," I commenced my speech. "We do not need to harm him, only make him see reason. I want him to know that someone does care about him, and that is me. Yes, I did not meet him personally, but I understand what he has to go through everyday." I pointed towards the direction of the Red Queen's former castle. "I do not know what we are going to face in there, but we will charge with our hearts full of bravery and strength. We will show no fear, and rescue Mirana, the White Queen and the March Hare." I held up the vorpal sword, letting the light hit the blade and cast down below like a beautiful rainbow. "Let's end this and bring peace to Underland once and for all!"

The guards cheered, raising their swords along with me. I could see McTwisp clapping his paws together, and Cheshire smile the widest I had ever seen him do. I was so glad that was over and done with, but now was the hard part. I didn't want to fight the Black Knight, but I knew in my heart it would come to that. He was too broken to reason with.

They marched off towards Salazen Grum, and I quickly hopped onto the Bandersnatch. He roared quietly, wagging his strange looking tail against the marble. I could tell he was excited.

"Iracebeth, you stay here with the rest. I don't want you to get hurt," I referred to McTwisp, Cheshire and Bayard. Iracebeth nodded her head, understanding that someone had to stay behind. "Tarrant and Mally! I want you to find Mirana and the March Hare as soon as we get there."

"Be safe," Iracebeth murmured. I flashed her a grin, and then jumped slightly as I felt something move behind me. It was Time, sitting behind me on the large beast. I looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you would have stayed," I told him. He gave me a smile and placed a kiss against my head, which undoubtedly made me smile back.

"I made a promise to protect you and that's what I will do," Time answered. I grinned, feeling more courageous than normal and reared up the Bandersnatch. He roared again, this time more loud and rushed off towards the castle. I breathed in the fresh air around me, letting it fill my spirit with adventure. I had to admit; I was extremely excited for this.

To spare you the details, we arrived at the castle in no time. Waiting for us was an army of black knights, ones that looked very similar to their ruler. Time and I managed to sneak inside while the fighting was taking place, and I began to wonder if the enemy was actually out on the battlefield. They all looked the same; it was hard to tell them all apart. I squinted, but Time pulled me inside of the castle and let the doors shut behind me.

There were some dimly lit candles running down the dark corridors, but most of the light source came from the cracks in the walls from the place being vacant for so long. It smelled disgusting, like molding bread and rust. I paced myself down the hallway, until I remembered that the double doors at the end of the hallway led to the ballroom.

"Lets check in here," I murmured and slowly opened the door. Sure enough, I had found the room I was looking for. The first thing I noticed was a large, swirling vortex that took the shape of the mirror Alice and I used to get here. I took careful steps to approach it, watching swirls of purple, blue and black fade into the abyss. What on earth was this?

"Ah! You have arrived," a deep voice boomed from above me. I gasped and stared up, seeing that the Black Knight had perched himself on the chandelier above me. His helmet was removed from his head, exposing his long, raven black hair and crazy eyes that never left mine. With one swift movement, he leaped down onto the ground and removed his bangs from his eyes. "I thought you would never come."

"Surprise surprise!" I laughed slightly at my joke. "Now, what on earth is that? Could you explain before we begin our duel?" The Black Knight chortled, pointing towards the object.

"It's a portal," he explained. "Like I told you, stupid girl. I want to purge the Upperland to Underland, so I can rule both and seek my revenge on the young Alice." His voice dropped when he said her name, and I could see sadness ripple through his eyes.

"Why don't I just reach in and grab her?" I questioned. "I'm sure she'll listen to you. Please, Donte, right? That's your name?" The Black Knight lifted his head, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"You know my name?" he whispered. I nodded and smiled towards him.

"Yes! Of course. I'd never forget it," I answered. All at once, I saw the happiness fade away and replace with his broken behavior. The Black Knight shook his head, growling deep in his throat and stepped away from me.

"You are fooling me. No one remembers me," he hissed and then turned back to face me. "No one will remember you either once I take off your limbs, one by one!" I shuddered. That didn't sound too pleasant.

"Thanks, but no thanks," I answered. "I'm here to do the taking off limbs!" I held up my sword, but I felt it pull back too far. Suddenly, it was yanked from my hand. I could hear the metal crash on the ground below me. The Black Knight chuckled, dragging a finger across his thin cheeks.

"I knew I made the right decision by making an alliance with you," he said. My eyes widened. I knew he wasn't talking to me, but the person behind me and the only person there was-

"Time."

My heart shattered and I whirled around to face him. I knew it! This made sense why he was acting so strange; he was lying to us all! Time grinned deviously down at me, patting my amber hair and took a large stride away from me.

"Ah, and you fell for the whole act!" he remarked. "You thought I loved you, didn't you? You were mistaken." I couldn't stop the tears that raced down my freckled cheeks, gripping my palms together tightly.

"How could you?!" I nearly yelled. "I put all of my trust in you, and you- You betrayed me!" Time did nothing but chuckle.

"It's such a tragic tale," the Black Knight cooed. "The strong girl who thought she knew everything, only to die at the hands of her loved one. Ooh!" He clapped his hands together. "So scandalous!" I wiped my tears away, all of a sudden feeling woozy. Woah, what was happening? I gripped my head, feeling my knees give out.

"She's succumbing to the gas," the Black Knight murmured. "Shh, Maisie. It'll all be over soon. I promise."

The last thing I heard was him laughing; a creepy laugh, and I blacked out.

Why Time? I thought you loved me.

[ A/N: heyyy. bet you didn't see that coming, right? maybe? okay

anyway, i'm getting a heavy writers block from this story and i don't know what to do. i'm going to ask for your help. if you have ANY ideas or concerns, please message me. i want to continue this story, but i don't know where to turn. if you do, i'll make it up to you. just let me know.

thanks! ]


	9. Chapter 9

My heart ached subconsciously while I was unconscious from the strange scent that overflowed my senses before. I could barely open my eyes to reveal my current location, and I felt a tight rope holding my wrists together with all of its strength. They hurt, but nothing compared to the way my heart thumped softly in my chest. Tears stung my eyes, allowing me to realize why I couldn't have opened them sooner.

I took one blink, shifting my gaze around the room. How pleasant; I recognized this place. I was in Time's castle, bounded on a large chair that was half my size. Unfortunately, there was no possible way for me to wiggle out of the ropes. I was held prisoner here by my so called "love of my life."

I knew this couldn't be true; this had to be just a dream. Time would never do this to me in a million years. I mean—He wanted to protect me so dearly, yet he does this. Why? Yes, I understand he could be lying but… No. I won't allow myself to believe that he traveled to the dark side just yet.

I lifted my head towards the left after hearing a small noise in the corner. Tied up almost identically to me was Mirana. Her face was tear stained, and she had a few bruises on her ghostly pale skin. She noticed me eyeing her and gave me a brave smile.

"You are awake," she murmured. I nodded my head slowly, shifting a bit in the uncomfortable seat. She slowly moved her head so that she was looking straight in front of her and I could see her gulp nervously. "I wish I fought back. This would have never happened." I followed her gaze and spotted the same portal I saw earlier. I could make out a few familiar buildings with small people waltzing down the dusty roads. They all seemed happy; Oxford. The portal was nearing completion as I could deduce.

"We did all we could," I whispered back. "I just wish I saw it coming sooner." Mirana turned her eyes back towards me, drawing in a sad sigh.

"I wish I did too," she sadly admitted. "Time is such a dear character, and so was March Hare." My eyes widened at that sentence, shaking my head slightly and stared deep into her saddening eyes. No! It couldn't be—

"W-Was?" I squeaked. Another crystal tear fell down Mirana's pale cheek and she sniffled.

"He was very brave in his last moments," Mirana began to tell me. "He told me he'd die for Underland before the Black Knight became ruler of us all and—" She choked on her tears, unable to remind herself that he had died fighting for her. My heart ached even more than before, and I even sensed a few tears arriving in my eyes.

"I'm so sorry Mirana," I found myself telling her. "I promise. I'll get us both out of here." Mirana carefully nodded her head, but I could tell she didn't believe me—or because the Black Knight had entered the room. He sneered down at us through his black helmet, radiating the blue-ish light from the portal he built. Coming in behind him was Time, whom couldn't peel his eyes off of me. I wanted to desperately punch that idiot in his face, but I couldn't. I knew I still loved him.

"In five minutes, the portal will suck in the real world and I will seek my revenge on that blonde-haired girl that ruined my life," the Black Knight sneered, laying a hand on the brass framing around the portal. I struggled a bit in my seat, wanting to be free so I could end this horrible situation.

"Never! You'll never get to Alice!" I shouted. "I'll make sure of that." The Black Knight chuckled darkly, leaning away from the portal. I was playing a dangerous game, but I wanted to fight for what's right.

"Foolish Maisie," he laughed deeply. "You couldn't even save yourself from my accomplice. What makes you think you can talk your way out of this?" I narrowed my eyes over my hazel eyes, until I felt something rubbing against my wrists. It was cold and sharp; perhaps a blade?

"Shh. Keep him monologuing," a familiar voice whispered behind me. My eyes filled up with happy tears as I realized it was Hatter cutting my ropes loose. Even now, I could see Iracebeth sneaking behind Mirana's seat and unbinding hers.

"Because I'm hopeful!" I stated loudly over the sound of the rope being cut. "What do you have? No one! You had to bribe Time to help you and that's pathetic!" The Black Knight let out a deep growl of anger and took a stride towards me. Time watched me with his blue eyes, a smile appearing on his face. What was he up to?

"You idiotic girl! You do not know when to stop to save your own life. In a few moments, it won't even matter! You'll all be under my control, and there is nothing you can do to stop—" The Black Knight continued, before I stood up completely from my ropes. They fell to my sides and I couldn't stop grinning. All at once, my friends showed themselves from behind me. The Bandersnatch roared angrily, whilst Mally gave her sword a few swings and Bayard growled in the direction of our new enemy.

"Ooh! Surprise!" I gasped, holding my hands up. "Wasn't expecting that now, were you?" He snarled darkly, shaking his head rapidly.

"You!" the Black Knight yelled in anger, pointing towards Time. "You told me there was no way for them to get in here! How?! Tell me how they got in here!" Time continued to grin deviously, placing both his arms behind his back.

"I would never betray Underland, nor my beloved Maisie," he replied. All at once, I rush of emotions came over me like a tidal wave. I couldn't stop grinning; See! I knew it! He truly did love me, and only did this to trick the Black Knight. With my friends beside me, I felt unstoppable. This was amazing.

"Y-You fool!" the Black Knight screamed at the top of his lungs. Before I could even blink, the Black Knight had unsheathed his sword and thrusted the blade into Time.

My world stopped—in fact, everything stopped.

I could no longer hear the gasps from the creatures behind me. All I could see was Time fall onto the ground, holding the wound he just received from the villainous character. Tears began to rise in my eyes whilst the Black Knight began to yell some horrid words towards us., withdrawing his sword in the process. Taking careful steps, I approached Time's dying body. He just stared up at me with a brave grin still upon his face.

"Idiot," I grumbled softly and knelt beside him, taking his hand in mine. "You told me you'd protect me, not die trying." Time attempted to laugh, but grimaced in pain and hissed with his teeth clenched together.

"It's worth it," he murmured. "You are worth saving. I'm sorry for betraying you. When we were in Marmoreal, I was acting strange because I knew I was doing wrong. I knew I couldn't go through his plans, and I'm so sorry Maisie." I wiped a tear from my chin and shook my head.

"You were a huge, uncivilized, rude asshole but… I still love you," I told him. Time coughed slightly, the light in his eyes starting to fade away with my words. There was no way he could die, right? What would happen to Underland if he did? I bit my lip, shaking him slightly. "Time! Please keep fighting. You can do this."

"I-I don't know Maisie," Time whispered and grumbled again in pain. "I'll try, my love. I'll try my hardest." I tried to ignore the fact that a few of his circuits were now peeking out of the gaping hole in his shoulder area and held his hand tighter, gripping it.

"And.. And!" The Black Knight began to finish, but hearing his voice made my spine crawl. My teeth clenched tightly, making me wonder if they could pop out from the pressure. I could feel anger rising in my chest, and if I didn't calm down, I would surely blow up.

Clank.

Something was placed next to my knee; something cold and familiar. I turned my gaze down and discovered the vorpal sword. Confused, I looked back up at Mirana who gave me a sympathetic smile.

"It's up to you, Maisie," she whispered. "Do as you may." My hand grabbed the helm of the sword, standing up to my full height and let it hang by my side. My hazel eyes bore holes into the Black Knight, whom continued to shout nonsense.

"Enough!" I yelled, rage speaking for me. "I've had enough of you! I'm going to end this once and for all." I didn't care if I barely knew how to handle a sword; I had to try, right? The Black Knight chuckled, pointing his black sword towards me.

"You? You will fight me? Hah!" he chuckled. "This shall be an easy win for me, and I'll enjoy my victory with controlling your friends and-" The Black Knight gasped as I whacked him once with the end of the vorpal sword. He was egotistical; barely paying attention to what was going on. This should be an advantage for me.

"Quit talking and let's get this over with," I growled at him. The Black Knight grinned again widely, removing his helmet from his head. His skin truly was cracked and disgusting, with a few bruises circling his wild eyes. Before I could blink, he gripped my wrist and-

"Let's take this somewhere nicer, yes?"

He pulled me into the portal; towards my home.

[ A/N: wheezes

sorry for not being around. my life has been sadder than Kylo Ren worshiping Anakin.

anyway! i'm going to try to finish this story, since i have an idea buzzing around in my head. the next chapter may not be out for a few days, however.

thanks, and have a good day! ]


	10. Chapter 10

The portal tugged at my limbs, jerking me around violently but I clung onto the vorpal sword with all my might. I couldn't let go of my only hope. Swirls of pink, purple and blue whisked around me and made my head spin, until I managed to hold onto something made of brick with my right hand. Soon, I came to realize that it was the roof of a building and I held onto the very top of it. My eyes boggled as they slowly scanned the area below me. There was no doubting it; I was nearly seventeen feet off the ground. Holding in a scream, I tried to scramble up onto the roof before the Knight could spot me. Unfortunately, when I managed to haul myself up onto the building, Donte stood a few feet from me. He snarled, clenching his razor-sharp teeth in his grey lips and tapped the end of his sword against the concrete. I gulped, but narrowed my eyebrows and held the sword tightly.

"You are scared," Donte hissed under his breath and took a step towards me. I felt myself back up against a brick chimney and mumbled a curse that was lost in the cold wind. "I love it when people become fearful of me. It makes me feel important; like I belong in this position."

"Psh, no! I'm not scared of you!" I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. "I'm only afraid of heights, as far as I'm concerned." Donte lifted an eyebrow, and then sneered once again with his sword pointed at me. I could feel the steel's warmth coat my stomach with the sun's rays, which made me feel more uncomfortable. I couldn't allow myself to think about dying at the hand of this awful villain; I must think about Wonderland and everyone I loved. I couldn't let them disappear from my life.

"I'll give you a new thing to be scared off then!" Donte snickered and then slashed at me. Moving my arm swiftly, I managed to block his attack; however he was extremely strong and nearly knocked me off of the roof. Luckily, the chimney caught me and I breathed heavily, hoping to catch myself again if I were to fall. In rapid speed, Donte sent another attack my way and the cold blade cut into my forearm, creating a wail of pain from my lips. Blood poured from the wound and dripped silently onto the roof, in which I stared at in horror.

"Aw, what's the matter? Can't handle a little blood?" Donte mocked me with a wicked grin flashing onto his pale face. I looked back at him, feeling rage boil in my blood. Oh, how badly did I want to slice him back. With my wounded arm, I would be at a disadvantage, but I at least had to try. In the blink of an eye, I took one slash at him and nearly chipped him in his hand. Donte hissed and backed up, twirling his blade slightly so that it attacked me one more. Following his hands and watching his muscles tense, I used my eyes to guide my blade.

Clink!

The blades met with a terrifying screech that made everyone below us eye us with great concern. The children began to whoop with happiness, thinking we were some sort of pirates fighting for a large bounty like in their story books, while their mothers grabbed them and ran for their lives. In the back of my mind, I didn't realize that I could possibly see Alice; unless she went on another voyage. I gripped my sword, trying to get back in reality and continued to fight the villain.

With a flurry of strange attacks (because I had no idea how to use a sword), I backed Donte against the edge of the roof. He gasped as a small corner of the concrete slipped from his shoes and fell downwards into the alleyway below. He growled and turned back towards me.

"Touché!" I shouted bravely, and Donte shot me a weird glance. Isn't that what swordsmen say? "Um, yeah. Forget I said that." I held my blade back at Donte, narrowing my eyes. "Give it up, Donte. Wonderland isn't yours to control." Donte continued to growl like a frightened puppy and his eyes darted around, looking for an escape.

"Never! It's-It's!" he tried to argue, but I sighed and shook my head.

"Donte, why are you so cruel?" I asked him with a soft tone, hoping to calm him down. "I mean—Alice still loves you deep down. She just needed a refresher." Donte shook his head back at me, his stringy black hair flying around his face.

"No! You are lying!" he cried out, but I could see tears forming at his eyes. I knew I hit a rough patch in his emotions. Dropping my sword, I held my arms out to him and smiled. This was probably the dumbest thing I've ever done, but I felt like he wouldn't hurt me if I didn't show that I wanted to fight him.

"You know that isn't the truth. Deep down, you know," I began to tell him. "Please. Listen to me, and know that I don't want to hurt you. I understand completely Donte." Donte twitched irregularly and moved back towards the roof once more, almost off the ledge entirely. My eyes widened; was he trying to kill himself?

"Maisie Croft," he began to murmur, his voice different. It wasn't scratchy and deep; it was kind and noble. I could almost see a sparkle in his eyes as he continued, "Thank you for attempting to make me feel better, but I cannot. I cannot live with myself anymore, knowing all I've done. I will never forget you, dear Maisie—Oh, and give my love to Alice." I shook my head wildly, worried about what he was going to do. Slowly, I saw his large body began to hurl downwards towards the cold ground.

"Donte!" I screeched and gripped the edge of the roof, but I couldn't catch him. He smacked into the floor, instantly dying. Then and there, the portal behind me began to spark and sputter. Since the creator died, the portal would cease to exist. Taking a deep breath in, I managed to move my sobbing body from the roof and raced back towards the portal. It shrunk, and shrunk, and shrunk until—

I shoved my entire body through and found myself hurdling back towards Wonderland. I squeezed my eyes tightly, and then I found myself smacking the floor of Time's castle. I groaned in pain, laying there for a few moments while my friends cheered in happiness. Bayard licked my face, while Mun jumped around me with joy and even Mally leaped onto my shoulder.

"Good job Maisie!" she chirped with happiness.

"Yes, rather good show!" I could hear the Hatter begin and I sensed he was smiling. I moved by body up again, groaning and rubbing my head slightly.

"I barely did anything," I murmured sadly. "I fought him for a while, but then I tried to talk to him. I wanted him to like me, and for him to understand that he could be better. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough because he…" My voice trailed off and my eyes moved back towards the portal, which was now the size of a pea.

"Oh my goodness," Mirana whispered and held her hand over her mouth. "Poor man. He had so many problems, and we were willing to help him. I hope he's in a better place; one where he can rest and be at peace." I nodded my head in agreement, and then gasped. Time!

"Where is Time?" I quickly questioned, my eyes darting around the room. His body was nowhere to be seen, and I had begun to panic.

"Oh, we moved him someplace else," Mirana answered with a smile. "Don't worry, he's safe. He'll heal in no time." Hatter snorted and covered his mouth; Time jokes again. Warily, I sighed and stood up to my full height.

"I'd like to see him, please," I stated.

"Maisie!"

His voice made me smile. I rushed towards his side and hopped up onto the flat, nearly knocking him off in the process. Time exclaimed and gripped onto the sides, grunting slightly at the punctured hole.

"Missed you too," he added, sarcastically with a grin. I giggled brightly and pecked a kiss onto his hand. Oh, how happy I was to see he was alive and well!

"I'm so glad you are safe," I said and held his hands tightly, my smile still wider than the moon in the sky. Time laughed softly, wincing a bit from the pain but nevertheless humored my happy attitude.

"You as well," he told me, and then sat up a bit in his flat. "What happened with the Knight?" I gulped, trying not to feel any more upset than I was when I watched his expression as he died. Poor guy; he just wanted some acknowledgement.

"He died," I finally admitted. "He fell off the building." Time blinked twice and then cleared his throat, awkwardly.

"That is unfortunate," Time murmured. "I wish things could have gone differently." He then looked up at me with sincerity echoing through his blue eyes. "I'm still very sorry about betraying you, my love. I didn't know how else to handle the situation. I didn't want you to get hurt either, but in the end, I did."

"Psh. I'm over that!" I exclaimed with a smile. "But hey, if you do it again, you'll regret it." Time laughed once more and hugged me to him, surrounding me with an emotion I longed for; love. Then, I realized that my time here was almost up. I didn't want to leave, but I saved Wonderland, didn't I? I drew in a breath and laid there, silent. I was too scared to speak.

[ A/N: woaH! look who updated! it only took me ten years, lmao

hey guys, sorry for the lack of chapters. I got a new job and it makes it hard for me to write, but I managed to get this chapter going. 3 enjoy and I hope you all have been well! ]


	11. Chapter 11

Mirana brushed through my hair, the thin finger-like comb moving my frizzy, brown hair around like a tornado. I pouted, my arms folded tightly across my chest and watched her in the large, crystal mirror in front of me. The white fabric of my dress poked under my arms, making me itch a bit from the uncomfortable material, but unfortunately weddings weren't supposed to be comfortable. I moved my eyes from the struggling Mirana towards the opening door. Iracebeth emerged wearing a beautiful red dress with black flowers dotting the lower half of her waist. Her hair wasn't up in that horrid bees nest; instead she decided to brush it out so it formed a short bob around her large head. It suited her to say the least, and I flashed a worried smile in her direction.

"Any luck with that wretched mess?" Iracebeth teased and waltzed up beside Mirana, whom giggled softly and continued to comb through a patch she managed to maintain. "I take that as a no."

"I'm sure I can straighten it in a few hours," Mirana commented and furrowed her brows, picking out a knot from my hair. I groaned slightly in pain, jolting my back up straight.

"We don't have a few hours," Iracebeth responded and stuck out her tongue. "The wedding is in thirty minutes. How much time have you wasted on her hair?" Sheepishly, Mirana turned towards her sister and gently placed the comb down in the vanity.

"Maybe five hours," she murmured in response. Rolling her eyes, Iracebeth shoved Mirana aside and took one of the many brushes in her hand. Determined, she began to brush through my curly hair. It hurt like hell, but I tried to stay still for her. "Iracebeth, be careful! Don't hurt her!"

"I've had to brush through my own hair, I can brush through hers," Iracebeth remarked. I laughed softly and sat my hands back onto my knees, attempting to ignore the pain deep in the roots of my head. Mirana picked up a blush brush and began to dot a light pink color upon my cheeks, making me grimace. I despised makeup.

"Is that really necessary?" I growled under my breath. Pinching my cheek, Mirana responded,

"Of course! You'll look darling." I rolled my eyes and allowed her to cake on the foreign powders. I just didn't want to look like a ghost with bright pink cheeks and heavy black eyes.

"Are you excited?" Iracebeth asked, moving over to the right side of my hair and broke the awkward silence that had befallen us. I shrugged my shoulders, a small smile appearing on my face. Unfortunately, Mirana was applying a light peach lipstick and when I smiled, it sort-of ruined it.

"I'm more nervous than anything," I responded and drew in a deep breath. "This is what I've always wanted, but I'm so scared." I looked down in my lap, sighing deeply.

"Don't be!" Mirana chirped and began to dust my freckles with another strange powder. "This is the moment you've been waiting for, and everyone is here to celebrate." I forced another smile and looked up at her.

"But what if I leave again?" I questioned. "No, I can't leave. I don't want to. I hate it back there." Carefully, Mirana slipped her fingers under my chin and smiled sweetly.

"Hate is a very strong word, Maisie," she taught. "I don't think you hate your family, do you?" No, I didn't hate my family; I just disliked them. Humoring, I shook my head and Mirana clapped her hands together. "There, see? That's one step in the right direction, but please consider this. If you do stay, you'll never see them again—or Alice."

"Alice visits," I added.

"Yes, but you won't be able to see her as often."

"She takes huge expeditions. I never get to see her anyway." Mirana paused, taking in a breath and then pinched my nose. Yelping, I grabbed it and glared at her.

"You are too stubborn," she laughed, and then gasped as if she didn't realize my hair. It was completely straightened, and not even knotted anymore. I gasped with her, holding a hand over my gaping mouth. Iracebeth stood there, looking extremely proud of herself and sat the brush back down.

"Ta-da!" she sang. Mirana giggled happily and helped me up from the cushioned seat.

"You are ready," she informed me, gripping onto the white veil next to me. Carefully, she moved the clips into my amber hair and pushed the long, clear veil against my head. "There. Now go look at yourself." Nervously, I turned around and—

Holy crap, I looked stunning.

I stared at myself in awe, a few tears building in my eyes as I came to realize that I WAS getting married. This wasn't a memory or a dream; it was happening. I held my hands up to my mouth, gulping back the emotions I felt and turned to the sisters. Quickly, I hugged each of them and thanked them almost a thousand times.

"Anytime, my dear," Iracebeth answered with a sweet smile.

"My pleasure!" Mirana chirped. I took in another breath, and then turned towards the door.

"Ready?" I asked them. Iracebeth took a hold of my left hand, giving me a nudge against my side.

"Ready!" she commented. Mirana then took my right hand, holding it delicately in hers and gently pressed a kiss against my head.

"Ready," Mirana agreed.

* * *

Breathe.

Just breathe.

Everything is going to be okay.

The three of us moved down the aisle covered with pink ribbons and beautiful roses. Our guests stood up as soon as that awful music kicked in; the organ I mean. I cringed a bit, but tried not to let them notice. I looked across the room, spotting Hatter whom wore a crooked-looking tuxedo and Mun seated sweetly on his shoulder. Bayard sat at the end of one of the rows of seats, giving me a proud look with Mally saluting me on the top of his head and even the Bandersnatch wagged its tail at the end of the room. I gave them each a smile, remembering all the moments I had with them. I truly admired every single one of them.

Then, I laid my eyes on Time…

…And nearly wanted to knock that god-awful hat off his head. I snickered at the thought as Iracebeth and Mirana let go of me. They each moved in front of me, heading towards the podium. Iracebeth tried to take the center, but was pushed gently out of the way by Mirana. I took my place next to Time, giving him a wide grin.

"Nice hat," I snickered. Rolling his eyes, Time chuckled and turned his attention back towards the sisters.

"Friends, we are gathered here to celebrate the union of Underlands heroes, Maisie Croft and Time," Mirana began, her voice ringing crystal clear and sweet like honey. "This occasion not only marks the beginning of their commitment together, but a commemoration of their undying love towards each other. Together, they will embark on a new journey together and build their trust, loyalty, respect and compassion." She moved back against the podium a bit, smiling down at us. "At this time, I would invite the couple to share their vows. Maisie, would you please deliver yours first?" I took in a deep breath, turning towards Time and shot him a wicked grin.

"I first came to Underland thinking I'd be left behind, bored and trying to find a way back to my home. I didn't realize I would find these wonderful inhabitants, especially the love of my life," I began, speaking from my heart. Honestly, if I planned this out in the slightest, I would have tripped over myself. "I love you Time, and I always will." In the silence, I heard Time's clock begin to tick faster and squeak softly. I held a hand over my mouth, holding in a giggle.

"And now, Time, will you deliver yours?" Mirana asked with a small smile. Time cleared his throat, correcting his posture.

"The moment I met you, you fell on your face and I fell in love," Time started. "You were such a strange little girl, but all the good people are strange and I admire that about you. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it—Ah, um, I love you Maisie, more than you can imagine."

God, my heart was melting.

"Maisie and Time, please join hands," Mirana ordered out of the blue. I jolted from staring at Time and quickly took his hands in mine. "Maisie Croft, do you take Time as your cherished husband, in front of these witnesses, and promise to stay by him side through sickness and health, joy and sorrow, so long as you both shall live?"

Hmmm, duh.

"I do!" I chirped happily.

"Time, will you take Maisie Croft as your cherished wife, in front of these witnesses, and promise to stay by her side through sickness and health, joy and sorrow, so long as you both shall live?" Mirana then questioned Time, moving her gaze over to him.

"I do," Time answered.

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife!" Mirana sang happily and shut the white book in front of her carefully. "Ah yes, you may now kiss the bride!" This was it; finally I could be with the one I loved most in this world. Slowly, I moved back towards Time and gave him a wide grin.

"I can't believe this is happening," I began and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Is this a dream?" I felt a sharp pain on my arm and I gasped, realizing he pinched me. "Hey!"

"You aren't dreaming," Time answered with a smile, but before I could answer, he kissed me. I heard the cheering from practically everyone, but the noise was drowned out. I could only focus on one thing, and one thing alone; Time.


	12. Chapter 12

_One year later…_

"What are you thinking about?"

I blinked my hazel eyes from my thoughts, pushing my fallen frame back up against the balcony and craned my head around so I faced Time. He tilted his head curiously, probably wondering why I was staring out at the wonderful world that surrounded our castle. I shrugged my shoulder, moving away from the railing.

"It used to be so dark out there," I commented and looked back at the now bright land. "Why is it so full of light? I mean, I like it this way but—"

"Because I found you."

"Nah, stop that. You are too sweet."

I couldn't stop grinning, leaning back over the balcony and watched a few black birds flutter by the soft, pink clouds. Everything seemed so perfect now in Wonderland, as well as peaceful. No known threats were growing, and Iracebeth had finally calmed down from her angry outbursts. She was one of my greatest friends now, but she still couldn't replace Alice.

I saw her not too long ago. She wanted me to come back with her, but I told her I belonged here. It was hard for Alice, but she soon came to terms of my decision. I'm so proud of her.

"What would you like to do today?" Time questioned and appeared at my side. "Mirana is throwing another ball. Would you like to attend?" I scoffed and shook my head.

"The last ball was rather boring—Let's do something exciting! Ooh! Let's go take the Bandersnatch for a whirl, or let's travel the sea of time! Or! Get this! Let's go back in time and—" I started hyperly, but was silenced by Time holding his finger against my lips.

"One thing at a time," he added. I grinned wickedly at him, nodding my head.

"But where's the fun in that?"

* * *

[ A/N: yessss ! finally a happy ending for my lovely couple !

it's been a HUGE honor writing this story. it kept me up at night, crying and thinking of new ideas and ruining my life tbh. i don't want to think this is the end of Maisie Croft, but if i make another one, i'd feel like I'm dragging it out and i don't want to do that.

thank you so much for sticking around and reading! lets be friends and i'll see you around c: ]


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